The Mirror on Saturday stated Harris's arrest "is thought to relate to one woman who spoke to police in the wake of the Savile scandal".

Twelve people have been arrested to date as part of Operation Yewtree, which was established after a TV documentary aired allegations that former BBC disc jockey Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, sexually abused countless children.

Former BBC driver David Smith is the only person to be charged. He's accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy some 30 years ago.

In March, a police spokesman told AAP there were three categories of people subject to the investigation: Savile himself, people close to the presenter and "others".

Police haven't named Harris. In March, the police simply said the Berkshire man arrested and bailed until May was in the last category which "is generally people who were in the public spotlight at around that time".

Debate has been raging in the UK as to whether people who have been arrested but not charged should be named in the press. The discussion follows the Leveson inquiry into phone-hacking.

Last month, a showbiz friend of Harris said "even if those arrested are never charged their lives will still have been ruined and that's unfair".

Harris has been a household name for more than half a century.

Millions of young people grew up to the sounds of his inimitable wobble board, didgeridoo and quirky singing style, while his catchphrase "Can you tell what is it yet?" became synonymous with his sketches that only became clear in the final strokes of his marker pen.